The preferred Starbucks Christmas drinks, ranked by energy

Starbucks is the creator of the OG seasonal drink, and its red cups are now iconic, signalling the start of Christmas for many.

Some of the festive favorites contain as many calories as a burger and three times the amount of sugar a woman is meant to consume on a daily basis.

The least calorific for a grande is the Iced Chestnut Praline Latte at 320 cals, and at the other end of the scale the Peppermint White Hot Chocolate has 520 cals.

Registered nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert told Insider it’s fine to consume drinks such as these in moderation, but you should avoid drinking them regularly.

Starbucks pointed out that its drinks can be customized to make them healthier.

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‘Tis the season for red cups, twinkly lights, endless socializing, and excessive consumption of both booze and sugar. Merry Christmas!

However, some Christmas drinks contain as much sugar as three cans of Coca-Cola and as many calories as a burger, which prompted UK organisation Action on Sugar on Tuesday to further calls for high street chains to reduce the sugar content in their festive beverages.

Although the coffees and hot chocolates aren’t exactly healthy, a balanced diet has room for everything in moderation, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with enjoying a festive drink from time to time.

But if you’re trying to lose weight or cut down your sugar intake, it might be worth knowing exactly what you’re consuming so you can factor it into your day.

“Definitely be aware of the sugar content in festive drinks but ultimately remember these are not meant to be consumed every single day, they are meant to be enjoyed as a special festive drink, something to have in moderation,” registered nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert told Insider.

“As long as people are aware of their overall sugar intake in their diets, they shouldn’t really be too concerned.”

Current guidelines from the American Heart Association recommend women consume no more than six teaspoons (25g) of added sugars a day, and nine teaspoons (36g) for men.

As the largest global coffee chain and the OG creator of Christmas coffees, Starbucks’ seasonal menu varies across the world.

A spokesperson for Starbucks told Insider: “All our drinks can be customized, such as asking for our smallest size; Short, requesting skimmed milk and less or no whipped cream.

“To help make it easier for customers to make informed choices, nutritional information is also available in-store, on our mobile app and online.”

Here’s how the most popular Starbucks seasonal beverages (made in the standard way) fare nutritionally for a Grande (16 fl oz) size, ranked from least to most calories: